Gold break-in goes wrong as man plunges to death in 1000m mine shaft

Njabulo Ncube, of No.76H Old West Penhalonga, who is believed to be a former worker at the gold mining company, had his body retrieved from the shaft on April 27 by the Redwing Mine rescue team and the police. Police have confirmed the incident. A 48-year-old man died after he plunged down the Redwing Mine main shaft believed to me 1 000metres deep as he was trying to steal gold ore while in the company of his four friends.

“Njabulo Ncube fell into the mine on April 24 and was retrieved from the shaft by a rescue team from the mine and the police. He was found on April 27,” said the police. Redwing Mine manager Mr Stanford Magomo refused to comment referring The Manica Post to the Ministry of Mines.

“I am not supposed to be talking to you. I think you have to get the information from the head office in Harare or the Ministry of Mines. They have offices in town (Mutare). They have all the information,” he said. Sources at the mine said Ncube was in the company of four other men and were trying to steal gold ore from the mine.

“The main shaft is about 1 000 metres deep and we suspect that these people have been doing it before this incident. The mine closed its operations a few months ago and they decided to take advantage of the absence of people around the mine.

“Considering the way the shaft is positioned, we suspect that the man who fell into the shaft is a former worker who is familiar with the shaft’s settings. There is no way an ordinary person can think of going down the shaft in search of gold ore,” said the source.

Mutasa South legislator Regai Tsunga described the incident as results of unpaid wages and retrenchments without being given benefits. “Spent time with the Penhalonga community consoling the family of one Ncube who fell to his death into the main mine shaft at Redwing Mine…catastrophic results of unpaid wages, retrenchment without benefits and a deteriorating economy,” he said on his Facebook page.

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